Numbers 16
1 Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi tried to take over leadership, along with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth, who were from the tribe of Reuben.
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men.
2 They rebelled against Moses, and were joined by 250 well-respected Israelite leaders and members of the assembly.
They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.
3 They joined together in opposition to Moses and Aaron, telling them, “You've taken too much power for yourselves! Every one of the Israelites is holy, and the Lord is among them. So why do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?”
They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the LORD is amongst them! Why do you lift yourselves up above the LORD’s assembly?”
4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell facedown on the ground.
When Moses heard it, he fell on his face.
5 Then he told Korah and all those with him, “In the morning the Lord is going to make it clear who is his and who is holy, and allow that person to approach him. He will only allow whoever he chooses to approach him.
He said to Korah and to all his company, “In the morning, the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him. Even him whom he shall choose, he will cause to come near to him.
6 This is what you, Korah, and everyone with you are going to do. Take some incense burners,
Do this: have Korah and all his company take censers,
7 and tomorrow put incense in them and set it on fire in the presence of the Lord. Then the man the Lord chooses is the one who is holy. It is you Levites who are taking too much power for yourselves!”
put fire in them, and put incense on them before the LORD tomorrow. It shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses, he shall be holy. You have gone too far, you sons of Levi!”
8 Moses also told Korah, “Listen, you Levites!
Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi!
9 Do you think it's something insignificant that the God of Israel chose you from all the other Israelites and allowed you to approach him and carry out the work in the Lord's Tabernacle, to stand before the Israelites and serve them?
Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;
10 He has allowed you the privilege of approaching him, Korah, you and all the other Levites, but now you want to have the priesthood as well!
and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? Do you seek the priesthood also?
11 So in reality you and those who have joined you are fighting against the Lord—because who is Aaron that you should complain about him?”
Therefore you and all your company have gathered together against the LORD! What is Aaron that you complain against him?”
12 Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We're not going to appear before you!
Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, “We won’t come up!
13 Haven't you done enough by taking us away from a land flowing with milk and honey in order to kill us out here in the desert? Do you have to make yourself a dictator as well, someone to rule us?
Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must also make yourself a prince over us?
14 On top of that you haven't taken us to a land flowing with milk and honey or given us fields and vineyards to own. Do you really think you can fool everyone? No, we will not attend!”
Moreover you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”
15 Moses got really angry and said to the Lord, “Don't accept their offerings. I have never taken even a donkey from them or treated any of them badly.”
Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”
16 Moses told Korah, “You and all those who have joined you must appear before the Lord tomorrow—all of you and Aaron too.
Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before the LORD, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.
17 Each one will take his incense burner, put incense in it, and offer it before the Lord. All 250 of you will use your incense burners and Aaron will as well.”
Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before the LORD his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”
18 So each one took his incense burner, put incense in it, set it on fire, and stood together with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron.
19 When Korah had gathered all his rebellious group at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Lord's glory appeared before the whole congregation.
Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting. The LORD’s glory appeared to all the congregation.
20 The Lord told Moses and Aaron,
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
21 “Step away from these Israelites and I will destroy them right away.”
“Separate yourselves from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!”
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown on the ground said, “God—God of everything that lives—when it's just one man who sins, do you have to be angry with the everybody?”
They fell on their faces, and said, “God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
23 Then the Lord told Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “Tell the people to move away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from around the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram!’”
25 So Moses went over to Dathan and Abiram, and the Israelite elders of Israel followed him.
Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 He ordered the people, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men and don't touch anything that belongs to them, otherwise you will be destroyed along with them in all their sins.”
He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”
27 The people moved away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances to their tents along with their wives, children and little ones.
So they went away from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
28 Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord did send me to carry out everything I've done, for it wasn't anything I thought up.
Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works; for they are not from my own mind.
29 If these men die a natural death, experiencing the destiny of every human being, then the Lord didn't sent me.
If these men die the common death of all men, or if they experience what all men experience, then the LORD hasn’t sent me.
30 But if the Lord does something totally different, and the earth opens up and swallows them down along with everything that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have acted with contempt to the Lord.” (Sheol h7585)
But if the LORD makes a new thing, and the ground opens its mouth, and swallows them up with all that belong to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall understand that these men have despised the LORD.” (Sheol h7585)
31 Immediately Moses finished saying all this the ground under the rebels split apart,
As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart.
32 and the earth opened up and swallowed them and their households down, as well as everyone who was there with Korah and everything that belonged to them.
The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods.
33 They went down alive into Sheol with all that they had. The earth closed over them, and they were no more. (Sheol h7585)
So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from amongst the assembly. (Sheol h7585)
34 When they heard their cries, all the Israelites nearby ran away, shouting, “Watch out! The earth could swallow us too!”
All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!”
35 Fire burst out from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.
Fire came out from the LORD, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense.
36 Then the Lord said to Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
37 “Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, to collect the holy incense burners from among those who have been burned up, and scatter the coals used for the incense well away from the camp.
“Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter the fire away from the camp; for they are holy,
38 Have the incense burners of those who sinned at the expense of their own lives hammered into metal sheets as a covering for the altar, because they were offered before the Lord, and so have become holy. They will be a reminder to Israelites of what happened.”
even the censers of those who sinned against their own lives. Let them be beaten into plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are holy. They shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
39 So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze incense burners used by those who had been burned up, and had them hammered out as a covering for the altar,
Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
40 following the instructions given to him from the Lord through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one who is not a descendant of Aaron should come and offer incense before the Lord, otherwise they could end up like Korah and those with him.
to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger who isn’t of the offspring of Aaron, would come near to burn incense before the LORD, that he not be as Korah and as his company; as the LORD spoke to him by Moses.
41 The next day all the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord's people!”
But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!”
42 But as the people gathered to confront them, Moses and Aaron went over to the Tent of Meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it and the Lord's glory appeared.
When the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked towards the Tent of Meeting. Behold, the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron went and stood at the front of the Tent of Meeting,
Moses and Aaron came to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
44 and the Lord said to Moses,
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 “Get away from these people and I will finish them off immediately.” Moses and Aaron fell facedown on the ground.
“Get away from amongst this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment!” They fell on their faces.
46 Moses told Aaron, “Put some coals from the altar and some incense in your incense burner. Then run to the people and make them right before the Lord, for the Lord is angry with them and a plague has started.”
Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, lay incense on it, carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD! The plague has begun.”
47 Aaron took the incense burner just as Moses had told him and ran into the middle of the assembly. He saw that the plague had started to affect the people so he offered the incense and made the people right with the Lord.
Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the middle of the assembly. The plague had already begun amongst the people. He put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.
48 He stood between those who had died and those who were still alive, and the plague was stopped.
He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
49 However, 14,700 died from the plague in addition to those who'd died because of Korah.
Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, in addition to those who died about the matter of Korah.
50 Then Aaron went back to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting because the plague had been stopped.
Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and the plague was stopped.
